Ray Trew admits Shaun Derry wasn’t in the running for the Notts County job at first, until he made it clear he was the ideal candidate.
The Magpies have been in the market for a new manager since sacking Chris Kiwomya in October, and they claim to have had plenty of interest in the position. However, Trew admits he was surprised when he received a call from Queens Park Rangers midfielder Derry, who actually began his career at the Meadow Labe club.
The 35-year-old joined County as a 10-year-old and signed professional terms in 1995, spending three years at the club before moving on to Sheffield United. This will be his first stint as a manager, but he will be assisted by the experienced former Carlisle United boss Gregg Abbot, as confirmed by Notts chairman Trew.
“When we, as a Board, sat down to identify the credentials that we were looking for in our next manager, we were agreed that we needed someone who understood this club and what it means to our fans,” Trew told the club’s official website. “I have to be honest and admit that Shaun wasn’t someone that we had thought of initially, but that was only because he was still enjoying a successful career as a player at a higher level.
“However, when he contacted me to declare an interest, he was an applicant that we simply couldn’t ignore. What he has achieved as a player, coupled with the leadership that he has shown throughout his career, make him the ideal candidate for a managerial role and he made it clear that he wanted that role to be with his hometown club.
“There are question marks over his credentials, simply because this will be his first managerial role, I know that, but there are doubts with every managerial appointment and we, as a Board, have to put our faith in who we think is the right man for the job. Shaun is someone who can relate to the players and, perhaps more importantly, relate to this club, but he is not naive enough to think that he could take this step alone.
“That is why he has turned to Greg Abbott, a man with a wealth of experience in the Football League, as a coach and manager, and someone that he has worked with in the past, to assist him in his new role. Having met with them both at length I am confident that they have what it takes to not only turn our fortunes around this season, but to go on and deliver the success and stability that we are craving here at Meadow Lane.”
